In recent years, in conjunction with the rise in demand for a small-scale, light-weight camera with good operability as well as portability, demand for a smaller scale lens having a wide-angle capability and a large aperture has been increasing.
Conventionally, a retro focus type, exchangeable lens for a single-lens reflex camera is known, and in recent years, similar lenses for use with a lens shutter camera such as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H01-130116 and in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H01-209413, have become known. The lenses disclosed in these laid open patent applications are composed of four lens elements, in order from the object side, as follows: a to positive first lens element, a negative second lens element, a positive third lens element, and a negative fourth lens element shaped as a meniscus lens with its concave surface on the object side.
However, it is difficult to achieve a sufficient compactness, wide-angle capability and large aperture while maintaining high quality imaging when using a lens shutter camera having a lens composed of four lens elements as described immediately above.